Observations Upon The Peloponnesus And Greek Islands, Made In 1829

Paperback | January 16, 2012

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This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1830. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI. THE CHURCH IN GREECE. General remarks upon the ignorance and superstition of the people--Reasons for anticipating a reform--Missionary operations--Remarks upon the measures to be pursued by Protestants for the benefit of oriental churches. The few remaining observations will be limited to that small, yet peculiarly interesting, portion of the Greek church, which exists in liberated Greece. And it is impossible not to remark the spiritual darkness that has overshadowed it, corresponding almost with the strong language used by government in a late address to the bishops. The condition of the people, under Turkish despotism, is there compared to the confusion and gloom of chaos, and they are declared to have been so shrouded in darkness that, being unable to distinguish sacred things from profane, they confounded both in their practice. After a slavery of nearly four centuries, preceded by ages of decline and controversy--destitute of the Scriptures, with an illiterate priesthood, with the church service in an unknown language, with no preaching, with no general and enlightened system of education, and with the sword of Mohammed turning every way in the road to improvement--it would be injustice to the Greeks to expect anything short of general ignorance, and a general absence of spiritual life. Considering human nature, any other result would be miraculous. I know not that well informed Greeks pretend any other. So far as we observed, the confession of ignorance was universal; and an admission, that some things in the church needed reformation, was by no means uncommon. These admissions, however, had respect rather to the externals of religion, the rites and ceremonies, 302 SUPERSTITION OF THE PEOPLE. than to vital principles. Probably there are ...